


Once Upon a Dream

by thraxbaby



Series: Fairy Tale AU [1]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 18:32:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17854901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thraxbaby/pseuds/thraxbaby
Summary: Inspired by a Tumblr post by kivi-no





	Once Upon a Dream

Ramona was a lovely young woman who lived deep in the woods, in a hut with her two guardians, Asra and Muriel. They were like her brothers, really, but at the same time, they tended to act like overprotective parents most days. She supposed they had a reason. Just three years ago, she woke up one day with no memories. She couldn't do anything and completely relied on her brothers to do basic things. 

Unfortunately for them, the more independence Ramona gained, the more restless she became. As soon as she could walk again, she was begging to go outside. She couldn't help it. She loved the smell of the pines and the feel of moss beneath her feet. She wanted her freedom to explore, but her brothers were afraid of something. So they made a compromise. She could go out, as long as she brought Inanna and Faust - her brothers' familiars - along with her. 

So Ramona took them along on her adventures. Today, she was picking berries down by the river. It was her birthday and she was feeling especially giddy. Who knew what kind of surprise she would come home to? Last year, Asra made her a goldberry pie and Muriel had carved her little wooden animals to display on her shelf. 

Sometimes, when she was feeling extra happy, Ramona would dance around. So she began to hum a tune she couldn't remember learning and danced around the forest. 

... 

Julian was lost. He knew the city of Vesuvia like the back of his hand, but the forest? He looked at his map again, but couldn't make heads or tails of it. 

"This damn map Mazelinka drew doesn't make sense!" he complained to his avian companion. The raven cawed and flew from his perch on Julian's shoulder up through the trees. After a quick fly about, Malak returned to Julian's shoulder and cawed. 

"Is there someone there?" Julian asked. The past year or two, he's come to start understanding the rowdy bird's cawing more and more. The raven took off in the direction he saw the person. Julian followed, moving around trees and avoiding thorny bushes until they arrived at a river. There, Julian saw a young woman, dancing and singing. The sight brought a smile to his face. Even now that the plague is gone for good, very few people find the time to celebrate life. 

While he was distracted, he didn't notice the wolf until she was growling at him. He yelped, gaining the attention of the girl. She stopped her dancing and stared at the stranger. Curiosity pushed her forward and she approached him. 

"Hello." Julian greeted. "Nice day we're having. Uh... I'm sorry, was that Once Upon a Dream you were singing?" The girl glanced to the side, probably shy, Julian thought. 

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." she replied. 

"Then allow me to introduce myself. Doctor Julian Devorak, at your service." Julian bowed dramatically, careful to stay out of snapping distance from the wolf. "And you are?"

"Ramona." 

"Ramona... Oh, what a lovely name. Well, Ramona, now that we're not strangers, let me show you a little something." When Julian took a step forward, Inanna growled again, but Ramona gently nudged her, showing that she trusted Julian. Inanna stopped growling, but kept a careful eye on him. 

"That song you were singing goes with a dance called the Waltz. You hold your partner like this," he got them into position, holding her close. "And then you move like this." He counted out their steps in threes 1-2-3, 1-2-3... Then he began to sing. 

"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream,  
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam,  
Yet I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem,  
But if I know you, I know what you'll do,  
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream..." His voice was deep and he looked at her with such a beautiful look in his eye. It made the rest of the forest disappear so that it was just the two of them. He danced with her around the forest, twirling her until he stopped singing. They were still holding each other close. 

"You're so beautiful." Julian whispered in the minimal space between them. 

"So are you." Ramona admitted. She just wanted to stay like this forever, but an echo of Asra's voice calling her name brought them back to the present. 

"I need to go. And you should go, too. I was serious about not being allowed to talk to strangers. My brothers are very overprotective." Ramona began to depart, but Julian caught her wrist. 

"Wait. Do you know where I can find bull weed? My friend sent me to find some." Julian asked. 

"Yes. Follow the river down until you come to a large boulder beside a fallen log. There you'll find a family of bullfrogs and plenty of bull weed. Just don't take too much. The bullfrogs live in it." Ramona answered. 

"Thank you, Ramona. I pray that the Fates allow us to meet once more." He kissed the top of her hand before reluctantly letting go and allowing them to go their separate ways. 

Ramona returned to the hut to find Asra and Muriel waiting for her. 

"Where were you?" Asra questioned. 

"Just by the river. Why?" 

"Faust said a stranger came by." The snitch! "Ramona, you know what we told you about strangers." Asra scolded. 

"But he wasn't a stranger. We met before." Ramona explained. 

"What?!" Asra and Muriel exclaimed simultaneously. "When?" Asra added. 

"Once upon a dream."


End file.
